Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
2008
Table of Contents
.
Editorial
Articles
American Presbyterianism, Geology, and the Days of Creation
By Frank J. Smith, Ph.D., D.D.
According to Auguine
Editorial
The space required to detail the wonderful and varied contents
of this the fourth and large inallment yet of The Confessional Presbyterian journal, has not left much room for editorial comment! We commend all of it, and particularly note
with thanks permission to reprint Guy Richards Samuel Ruth-
Reviews & Responses: J. Mark Beach. Chri and the Covenant: Francis Turretins Federal Theology as
a Defense of the Doctrine of Grace (J. Wesley White) 210 Bruce Waltke, with Charles Yu, An Old
Teament Theology: An Exegetical, Canonical, and Thematic Approach (Lane Keier) 212 Robert
L. Reymond, Faiths Reasons For Believing: An Apologetic Antidote to Mindless Chriianity (W.
Gary Crampton) 214 Carl R. Trueman, John Owen: Reformed Catholic, Renaissance Man (Mark
Jones) 217 D. G. Hart and John R. Muether, Seeking a Better Country: 300 Years of American
Presbyterianism (Andrew M. McGinnis) 222 Recent Reformed Writings on Worship (Frank J.
Smith) | Reggie M. Kidd, With One Voice: Discovering Chris Song in Our Worship 227 Paxson
H. Jeancake, The Art of Worship: Opening Our Eyes to the Beauty of the Gospel 230 John M. Frame,
The Second Commandment: Regulating Worship, in The Doctrine of the Chriian Life: A Theology
of Lordship 233 Robert L. Dickie, What the Bible Teaches About Worship 238 Richard A. Muller
and Rowland S. Ward, Scripture and Worship: Biblical Interpretation and the Directory for Public
Worship 239 R. C. Sproul, Truths We Confess: A Laymans Guide to the Weminer Confession
of Faith, Volume 2: Salvation and the Chriian Life and A Tae of Heaven: Worship in the Light of
Eternity 240 Dominic A. Aquila, Redemptive Hiory and the Regulative Principle of Worship,
in The Hope Fulfilled: Essays in Honor of O. Palmer Robertson 244 W. L. Bredenhof, A Guide to
Reformed Worship, ten articles in The Clarion 247 Cory Griess, The Regulative Principle: A
Confessional Examination, Proteant Reformed Theological Journal 248 Mark Dalbey, Chriian
Worship, Online Course Lectures, Covenant Theological Seminary 248 Blogroll: Andrew J. Webb,
Building Old School Presbyterian Churches; Jeffrey J. Meyers, Corrigenda Denuo; Sean Michael Lucas, Sean
Michael Lucas; R. Scott Clark, The Heidelblog; Will Shin, Thoughts & Actions. 249 A Conversation on
Denominational Renewal, February 2628, 2008, Bill Boyd, Worship, Matt Brown, Ecclesiology, Jeremy
Jones, Theological Reflection. 251 | Nick Needham, Weminer and Worship: Psalms, Hymns?
and Musical Inruments? in The Weminer Confession into the 21 Century, volume 2, ed. J. Ligon
Duncan (Matthew Winzer) 253
Psallo: Psalm
Bibliography
.
In Brief: Olevianus on Law and Gospel (28) George Howe, D.D. (18021883) A Bibliography of
Published Works (69) Stephen Marshall, A Defence of Infant Baptism (191)
Contributing Editors: The Revs. Richard E. Bacon, Th.D., W. Gary Crampton,
Ph.D., J. Ligon Duncan, Ph.D., John T. Dyck, David W. Hall, Ph.D., Sherman
Isbell, Ray B. Lanning, Thomas G. Reid, Frank J. Smith, Ph.D., D. D., Alan
Strange, C. N. Willborn, Ph.D. Mr. John R. Muether; Mr. Wayne Sparkman.
Article and Review Submissions: Please mail the Editor regarding submissions
for publication, or visit http://www.cpjournal.com for more details.
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Summary
Mo of the authors whose books are reviewed in this article
manife an appalling lack of Biblical fidelity. Mo diressing is
the reality that among the wor offenders are popular writers in
the Reformed community, such as John Frame and R.C. Sproul.
There are numerous places where many of these authors either
do not underand or do not deal with the hioric Reformed
underanding of worship, as exemplified in what has become
known as the regulative principle of worship.
One of the benefits of, say, the book by Robert Dickie, is
that we can point to it as an example of how someone with
whom we do not totally agree theologically, has nevertheless
grasped the fact that much of what passes today for worship
is not worthy of the name. However, while a book such as his
may be useful, and while someone could glean some good
from it, there can also be a dangerthat of being content with
what we might describe as Reformed lite. Placing his material in the hands of novices or immature believers may assi
them in resiing the temptation of contemporary worship.
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***
Review: Nick Needham, Weminer and worship: psalms,
hymns, and musical inruments, In The Weminer Confession into the 21 Century, 2, ed. J. Ligon Duncan (Rossshire, Scotland: Chriian Focus Publications, 2005). 540
pages. ISBN 978-1-857-92878-5. $37.99. Reviewed by Matthew Winzer, Grace Presbyterian Church (Auralian Free
Church), Rockhampton, Queensland, Auralia.
Westminster and Worship Examined:
A Review of Nick Needhams essay on the
Weminer Confession of Faiths teaching concerning
the regulative principle, the singing of psalms,
and the use of musical inruments
in the public worship of God.
An attempt has recently been made by Nick Needham to give
an accurate hiorical judgment relating to the [Weminer]
Assemblys views and deliverances relating to exclusive
. According to Wikipedia, aggiornamento means bringing up
to date, and was one of the key words used during the Second Vatican Council both by bishops and clergy attending the sessions, and
by the media and Vaticanologis covering it. It was used to mean a
spirit of change, openness, openmindedness and modernity. Further, The rival term used was ressourcement which meant a return
to earlier sources, traditions and symbols of the early Church.
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He proceeded to explain,
Now God hath written the Law of natural Worship in our
hearts, as that we should love God, fear God, tru in God, and
pray to God: this God hath written in our hearts. But there
are other things in the Worship of God that are not written in
our hearts, that only depend upon the Will of God revealed
in his Word. And these are of such a nature as we can see no
reason for but only this, because God will have them. God
would have some waies for the honouring of him, that the
Creature should not see into the reason of them, but meerly
the Will of God to have them so (Jeremiah Burroughs, Gospel-Worship, 11).
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The principle is rigid and inflexible, and does rule out creativity (sanctified or otherwise), as far as the ingredients of our
worship are concerned; but it equally allows us a measure of
Chriian liberty in the exact way that we mix or combine
those ingredients. Form and freedom are both provided for
(Weminer, 240).
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ter] to that, for I have seene it. Well done to revise the booke
& if it come to a directory of worship, that ther might be uniformity in that in the whole Island.18
The ordinance indicates, fir, that the Parliament was acting in accord with its covenanted commitment to uniformity
in religion; secondly, it was following through on its resolution
to follow the example of the be Reformed Churches; and
thirdly, that what the Assembly of divines had concluded with
respect to the public worship of God was to be universally
implemented throughout the churches of the kingdom.
As already noted, the Directory for Worship contains a section on the singing of psalms. In this section it is written, That
the whole congregation may join herein, every one that can read
is to have a psalm book; and all others, not disabled by age or
otherwise, are to be exhorted to learn to read.21 It has been
shown that Parliament made provision for this psalm book in
directing the divines to give consideration to the suitability of
Rous psalms. At the very time the Directory was passed and
enacted the divines were ill completing the examination and
alteration of this Psalter. In the absence of any other provision,
the mo logical conclusion is that the Directorys mention of
a psalm book is a reference to the Psalms of David in Metre
which they were in the process of finalising.
The psalm book was finally completed on November 13,
1645, and sent up by the Assembly to the House of Commons
with this resolution:
OrderedThat whereas the Honble House of Commons hath,
by an order bearing the date the 20th of November 1643, recommended the Psalms set out by Mr. Rouse to the consideration of the Assembly of Divines, the Assembly hath caused
them to be carefully perused, and as they are now altered and
amended, do approve of them, and humbly conceive that it
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may be useful and profitable to the Church that they be permitted to be publicly sung.22
From this communication it becomes clear that the Assembly considered their labours had produced a translation
which closely reflected the original text, and that they were
not prepared to work on another. Although the revised Psalter
was sent to Scotland for further examination and correction,
the Assembly of divines made no further efforts in the way of
preparing materials to be sung in the public worship of God.
As far as they were concerned, ample provision had been made
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for fulfilling that part of the service which they entitled the
singing of psalms.
The matter, however, was not yet concluded. On March 26,
1646, the House of Lords inquired of the Assembly of divines
as to why the psalms of William Barton may not be sung in
Churches as well as other Translations, by such as are willing
to use them.27 The divines sent in their answer on April 25:
whereas there are several other Translations of the Psalms
already extant: We humbly conceive, that, if Liberty should
be given to People to sing in Churches every one that Translation which they desire, by that Means several Translations
might come to be used, yea in one and the same Congregation at the same Time, which would be a great Diraction
and Hinderance to Edification.28
Not only did the Assembly confine its labours to the Psalms
of David in Metre, but they would not even consider allowing
more than one metrical Psalter to be used in the Church le
it cause diraction and hinder that edification which they
considered the approved Psalter was fitted to promote.
This review will not trace the hiory of the Psalter as it
moved from England to Scotland because it has no bearing on
the queion as to what is meant by the term psalms in the
Weminer formularies.29 It suffices at this point to simply
. Alex F. Mitchell and John Struthers, Minutes of the Sessions of
the Weminer Assembly of Divines (Edmonton, Canada: Still Waters
Revival Books, 1991 rpt.) 163.
. House of Commons Journal Volume 4: 14 November 1645,
Journal of the House of Commons, volume 4: 16441646 (1802) 341342.
URL: http://www.british-hiory.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=23544.
. Robert Baillie, Letters and Journals, 2:326.
. Ibid., 330, 332. The letter also records the willingness of the
Psalter committee to receive the corrections made by the Church
of Scotland: I can give assurance that whatever corrections comes
up from yow shall not only be very kindly taken into consideration,
but also followed, whenever we are able to shew that they are
reasonable; for in this we find both Mr. Rouse and all the committee
very tractable.
. House of Lords Journal, volume 7: 14 November 1645, Journal
of the House of Lords, volume 7: 1644 (1802) 701705. URL: http://
www.british-hiory.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=33446.
. House of Lords Journal, volume 8: 26 March 1646, Journal of
the House of Lords, volume 8: 16451647 (1802) 236239. URL: http:
//www.british-hiory.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=33989.
. Ibid., 283286. URL: http://www.british-hiory.ac.uk/report.a
spx?compid=34013.
. For further information one might consult David Laings useful
collection of papers appended to Robert Baillie, Letters and Journals,
3:540556. One will also find therein all the official information
concerning the other Scriptural songs. Mr. Needham notes the
1647 Act of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland which
recommended that Mr. Zachary Boyd be at the pains to translate the
other Scriptural Songs in metre, and to report his travails also to the
Commission of the Assembly (Weminer, 278). He deduces from this
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This contemporary commentator underood the Confession to teach that the psalms to be sung in worship were a
part of Scripture, appointed for his praisewhich can be
none other than the Old Teament book of Psalms.
What does this external evidence demonrate? Fir, that the
contemporary situation among unreformed parties was one
which allowed for the inclusion of man made hymns. On the
high church side there was a concern to allow for the inclusion of
traditional hymns, while the sectarian side insied that individual
freedom to express Spirit-inspired songs should not be curtailed.
Secondly, that the cuom in the reformed churches was to adhere
to the singing of psalms to the exclusion of man-made hymns.
Thirdly, that the Weminer Assembly, in seeking to bring the
Church of England into nearer conformity with other reformed
churches, prescribed the singing of psalms as an ordinary part of
the worship of God; and fourthly, that both unreformed parties
criticised the Weminer Assembly for exclusively adhering to
the psalms and not allowing for man-made hymns.
. David Dickson, Truths Victory over Error (Kilmarnock: John
Wilson, 1787) 143. Although the work was not translated and published until 1684, the original Latin lectures were delivered within a
few years of the Confessions publication.
. Thomas Ford, Singing of Psalms: the duty of Chriians under
the New Teament, or a vindication of that gospel-ordinance (London,
Printed by W. B., 1659).
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The Lords songs are the songs of Zion, and these Bible
psalms suffice for making melody to the Lord.
Another member to make comment on the subject is
Thomas Young in his work which surveys the fathers attitudes towards sanctifying the Sabbath day. He observes that
sometimes the early church sang from the Old Teament book
of Psalms: As for the hymns themselves, the Divine Oracles
being sung with a sweet voice, did animate their sound, and
therefore they sung sometimes Davids PsalterChrysoom
and Auguine being consulted as authorities.38 He further
notes Tertullians teimony that early Chriians would
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Musical Instruments
Little needs to be said under this section of the review. The
author ates the position of the Weminer divines in no
uncertain terms: Clearly the Weminer divines did not
believe in the validity of inrumental worship (Weminer,
291). This review has already referred to Samuel Gibsons sermon before the House of Commons, in which he ates, we
have ill the Lords songs, the songs of Sion, sung by many
with grace in their hearts, making melody to the Lord, though
without Organs (Gibson, The Ruine, 25). Mr. Needham quotes
the ordinance of Parliament made on May 9, 1644, for the
speedy demolishing of all organs, and none others hereafter set up in their place (Weminer, 291). He notes that all
appeal to the Old Teament in juification of inrumental
worship breaks itself to pieces on the reefs of the regulative
principle (296), and proves that in Old Teament worship
the noise was the worship: an audio-symbolic evocation of
the majey and glory of God which passed away with the
coming of the Lord Jesus Chri, when worship in Jerusalem
passed over into worship in spirit and truth (298).
So far the Weminer/Puritan tradition has been well
preserved. The reader, however, is soon introduced to a subtle
diinction: But what shall we makenot of inrumental
worshipbut of inrumental accompaniment under the New
Covenant? (299). It is shown that an appeal to the circumantial argument could only juify the use of a single inrument to keep congregational singing in tune, and that large
congregations would not really need such accompaniment.
It is also clarified that inruments have a tendency to take
over the worship service and that such abuse mu be guarded
again. In sum, though, the author thinks the use of a single
inrument, purely to keep the singing in time and in tune,
can be juified as a circumance of worship (302).
This of course is Mr. Needhams own opinion, and something
for which he offers no support from the Weminer representatives. As noted, Parliament ordered the demolition of organs
and made it clear that they were not to be set up in the future. It
is doubtful, therefore, that the second reformation movement
would have accepted this somewhat subtle diinction between
inrumental worship and accompaniment.
Conclusion
The spiritual insight of William Cunningham may help to
capture the fundamental concern of this review:
Men, under the pretence of curing the defects and shortcomings, the nakedness and bareness, attaching to ecclesiaical
arrangements as set before us in the New Teament, have
. William Cunningham, The Reformers and the Theology of the
Reformation (Edinburgh, Scotland: Banner of Truth, 1989 rpt.) 36.
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